Caitlyn's POV
"Talon..."
I was just about to explain something more, but Talon just turned his head and walked into the restaurant without looking back.
It felt like I had lost a piece of my heart, and I stood still, at a loss for words for a moment.
"Let's go inside." Zed's warm voice rang out at the right time. He took my hand, and we walked towards the restaurant in long strides.
I tried to break away from his hand a few times on the way, but my resistance was somewhat unhelpful as his grip on my arm persisted until the two of us were walking side by side into the restaurant. The scene happened to catch Talon's eye as well.
"Alpha Zed, we are ready for what you ordered earlier. Do you think we should serve it now or wait a little longer?"
A chubby werewolf, wearing a somewhat funny white high hat on his head, approached Zed's table. There was no doubt he was the king's exclusive chef.
"Let's wait a bit first; we have a guest who hasn't shown up yet," Zed responded while absently flipping through the menu.
"Okay, then just ring this bell when you need to be served." The chef pointed to the serving bell placed in the center of the table and left with a smile.
"Another person? Who is it?" I couldn't help but frown at Zed's words and, at the same time, couldn't help but look in Talon's direction.
Talon wasn't sitting very far away from us, leaving only a back shadow behind. However, I was aware that with his ability, he should be able to hear Zed and me perfectly.
"Alpha Talon, don't be a fool. I ordered your favorite Angus steak." Zed's voice wasn't loud, but it reverberated like a thunderbolt in this vast silent restaurant.
I looked over at Talon a little incredulously. It was obvious that he was a little stunned as well, but he quickly regained his composure and stood up, walking over slowly. He sat down in between me and Zed.
Zed's face bore his signature smile, and as he pressed the bell, there was an instantaneous, crisp ring.
"Frankly, your tactics seem a bit clumsy to me," Talon commented, fiddling with the spoon in front of him, somewhat dismissive of Zed's enthusiasm.
"But no girl would turn down that kind of romance, would she?"
Zed said, giving me a purposeful glance before the chef from earlier cheerfully appeared, pushing a food cart with the aroma of food filling the air.
"Don't tell me that in all the time you've been with Caitlyn, you've never let her enjoy this kind of romance," Zed rambled, but Talon's face slowly clouded over.
"Talon, don't get me wrong, I'm just..." Seeing Talon frown, I couldn't help but explain.
"Alright, you don't need to explain; I understand everything. I was too selfish before, always ignoring your feelings." Talon's tone was slightly calmer, but the more he spoke like that, the heavier my heart felt.
"I don't care what you thought before, but now that I'm here, I'll never allow you to treat Caitlyn like that again," Zed declared, suddenly furrowing his brow towards Talon, surprising me.
"You're not in a position to educate me on what to do. Don't think that just because the king gives you some respect you can do whatever you want. No matter your intentions, if you let me know that you're thinking anything other about Caitlyn, I can assure you that you'll pay for it!"
Talon snapped to his feet, slapping the table hard, immediately drawing the attention of those around him.
"Funny, I thought you would continue to keep silent and be a coward. You with such a determined and possessive look is now worthy of Caitlyn," Zed didn't get angry when he saw Talon's reaction; instead, he gave a small smile of relief. "But you can try."
Zed glanced provocatively at Talon, making it evident that Talon's recent words hadn't left him entirely unaffected emotionally.
After finishing his statement, Zed picked up his knife and fork, delving into the meal before him.
Talon froze briefly, seemingly puzzled by Zed's true sentiments.
"Let's enjoy the meal first," Zed said softly, and a peculiar silence enveloped us.
As we silently consumed our meals, a sudden sharp sound of footsteps echoed from outside the door. I instinctively turned my gaze to the entrance, only to witness Kaisa entering the dining room in full attire. As much as I loathed admitting it, Kaisa undeniably stood out in that moment.
Kaisa's eyes surveyed the restaurant, and upon spotting the three of us together, surprise flickered in her eyes before she walked directly towards us.
Seeing Kaisa's movement, my heart sank heavily. I couldn't help but wonder if Kaisa's motive was a countermeasure devised by Talon after observing Zed's pursuit of me.
I feigned interest in my food, but my eyes remained fixed on Kaisa.
"Kaisa, what brings you here?" Talon queried, wiping his mouth with a handkerchief and gazing at Kaisa with confusion. Judging from Talon's reaction, it seemed he was unaware of Kaisa's arrival in advance.
"I'm sorry, Alpha Talon. This time, I'm not here for you," Kaisa responded, momentarily freezing. An embarrassed expression crossed her face before she turned to Zed, who was engrossed in nibbling on his steak with his head buried in his hands.
"Alpha Zed, thank you. If you hadn't intervened and saved my life, I fear I would have..." Kaisa paused, taking a deep breath before addressing Zed in a polite manner.
Zed didn't look up, continuing to consume his steak with an air of indifference. "You don't have to be like that. It was just a passing thing. If Caitlyn hadn't been there at the time, I wouldn't have gone through all that trouble to save you."
"Well. I can see that."
Kaisa obviously didn't expect Zed to speak like that, and a hint of embarrassment immediately surfaced on her delicate face. Perhaps no one had ever talked to her in such a manner since birth, but she stood her ground and didn't leave, waiting for Zed's next words.
"So, is there anything else you want? If not, I'll..."
"Yes."
Kaisa interrupted Zed, her voice more assertive, as if she had made up her mind.
Zed frowned, a hint of doubt in his eyes.
"I would like to ask you to be my date for the ball."
Kaisa closed her eyes nervously as she finished speaking, her hand gripping the edge of the table, which was shaking slightly. It seemed like she was prepared for rejection by Zed.
After what felt like an eternity, Zed slowly stood up, first glancing at the silent Talon, then nodding softly with his signature smile on his face.
"Okay."